And one of my favorite countries is Albania. Beaches, mountains and food aside, I love countries that go through a lot of hardship (WW2, communism, totalitarianism, pyramid schemes, etc) and end up still banding together and flourishing as a nation.

Tirana! (The capital)

Old Ottoman bridges that are still used as walking paths.

George W Bush was the first US president to come visit Albania. (He stayed for just a few hours).

“Selfie Statue”

One of the many many many many many bunkers that were built during the communism days. It could house 2 men with guns.

While this looks like an electricians nightmare, I love it because of the chaos and the trust in the community to not get hurt.

“The Pyramid” (not to be confused with the Pyramid Scheme). This was a communist meeting center. It’s now a skate park/hangout area. It’s awesome to get to the top and watch the sunset while drinking beer.

All buildings during communist times were drab… Beige or gray. After communism fell, people used colorful paint to brighten up their world!

Chaos of getting cars on the ferry.

The ferry taking us to Valböne.

Valböne is prettier than Yosemite. Less crowded. Cheaper. More secluded… I mean, what more can you want?

Thanks to Gazi for being my tour guide and Fation for hosting and telling me about some of Albania’s darkest (and lightest!) times!